Canon Wide Angle Tilt Shift TS-E 24mm f/3.5L Manual Focus Lens for EOS Imported

Comments about Canon Wide Angle Tilt Shift TS-E 24mm f/3.5L Manual Focus Lens for EOS:

I buy this lens for Architecture / Interior photography. Build quality is great, not too heavy. Tilt and Shift very precise. The pictures also very sharp and clear. Manual focus ring smooth. Recommend to use grid focusing screen. I use this lens with full frame 5DII it's perfect match. It's OK for handheld if you don't do much Tilt or Shift.

Comments about Canon Wide Angle Tilt Shift TS-E 24mm f/3.5L Manual Focus Lens for EOS:

This is the best lens in the market for photographing large buildings as you get a very wide coverage on 24mm using a full frame sensor like on the 5d mark ii and are able to correct perspective issues using the shift function.
If you want to shoot "miniature worlds" this is not the lens to use thought as you will not get the effect on a wide angle lens. If you want to do that you're better with the 90mm or 45mm versions.

Comments about Canon Wide Angle Tilt Shift TS-E 24mm f/3.5L Manual Focus Lens for EOS:

Teamed with a "live view," full-frame 5D mk2; a sturdy tripod (make mine a Manfrotto); and a hot-shoe bubble level, this lens is an architectural photographer's secret weapon.

I know that there is a craze out there to make use of the "tilt" feature to get weirdly selective-focus images, but I would personally like to have my "tilt" spot-welded. I never use it; and I hate it when it accidentally slips without me realizing it until halfway through my assignment.

For me, this lens is all about controlling converging lines and working carefully with interior, three-dimensional spaces. With a little practice, it becomes second nature:

* maintain horizontality (use a bi-axis hot-shoe bubble level: $40);

* maintain parallelness between your subject plane and your imaging plane (which, until they come up with a hot-shoe laser level, must be done with eye-balling);

* make use of "live view" (especially with the grid function);

* make use of the exposure simulation in "live view";

* check horizontals within the subject area by temporarily shifting to "grab an edge" within the frame to verify subject/image plane flushness;

* then shift to frame the subject as you desire it;

* use manual exposure adjustments (again, making use of the "exposure simulation" in live view); and

* bracket your exposure.

Perfection.

I do it dozens of times every week, and now I feel naked when I don't have all those features at hand to help bring about the perfection.
Prior to getting the TS-E, I was using a the Canon 24mm "L" prime. I was also getting converging lines and not achieving perfection.

(Further tool: Make use of your bracketed exposures to form High Dynamic Range -- HDR -- images in Photoshop. Your interiors will be phenomenal -- as though they have been given the full Hollywood lighting treatment, with no artificial lighting at all.)

I know that there are a lot of other "creative" and "useful" applications for this lens. There is a lot of great information out there in users' groups, etc., for methods, techniques, and even physical modifications to the lens itself (ouch!). This is an amazing lens (part of an amazing family of lenses -- I also have the 45 & 90mm versions, but don't use them as often as the 24). But all I can really speak to is its fundamental use as an architectural imaging tool. For that, used often, it is expensive only when purchased; after that, it is simply invaluable.

Comments about Canon Wide Angle Tilt Shift TS-E 24mm f/3.5L Manual Focus Lens for EOS:

I work as a portrait/lifestyle and wedding photographer. This lens has many applications when shooting people, details and scenes. I really love this lens for it's exoticness and the unique images it can create.

This lens creates sharp crisp images where you want them to be and softens what you don't want to be so vivid. Once you get the hang of the lens it's pretty easy to use and it's sturdy and reliable.

The one thing that can be challenging with this lens is nailing the exposure. If you are fully using the tilt and shift, it has trouble seeing exactly what you are exposing for. So it becomes necessary to check the back of the camera consistently.

Comments about Canon Wide Angle Tilt Shift TS-E 24mm f/3.5L Manual Focus Lens for EOS:

It tilts and it shifts. And you get the pictures tilted and shifted. But there are a few things you might need to know before buying it:
1 - The lens is built to tilt in one direction and shift perpendicular to that direction. You will not be able to tilt and shift in the same direction, unless you hack it (unscrew four screws, twist the bottom and, fit in the wires, screw the four screws back – I don't have the stomach to do it, if you do, go for it).
2 – It tilts and shifts, but also rotates.
3 – Pretty hard to focus, especially if you don't have liveview.
4 – The user manual only explains how to operate the lens, but it is not very thorough when explaining what effects you might get
5 – Be patient with it: the learning curve might be slow, but the results you get are beautiful, at least.
I am having a great time unveiling the powers of this lens. Just it was a reason good enough for buying it.

Comments about Canon Wide Angle Tilt Shift TS-E 24mm f/3.5L Manual Focus Lens for EOS:

I've used this lens on an EOS 1D Mk II at Bodie, California and for Anasazi ruins and petroglyphs in northern New Mexico. Its only big shortcoming is flare sensitivity, most evident in bright hotspots in the restored Great Kiva at Aztec Ruins National Monument.

It's a great problem-solver for converging verticals. Shifting horizontally, it let me shoot all of Chetro Ketl's main wall without walking into thin air off Chaco Canyon's North Mesa.

Use it with or without a tripod - but a gridded architectural focusing screen is a must. Focus assist helps if you have less-than-stellar eyesight. Stop down to f/9 or more for best sharpness, and watch your depth of field.

Meter your subject manually before tilting or shifting, focus on important detail, then compose. Remember metering isn't accurate once you shift or tilt, and focusing is brighter and easier before adjusting.

I have three other lenses covering 24-25mm, and this is the one I use most when I'm in the field.

OTHER CONS - It may tilt by itself when you pull it out of a tight-fitting case, even locked. If focus across the viewfinder is fuzzy, check for unintended tilt.

Sometimes I wish for tilts and shifts in the same axis, but not enough to trade for the II version of this lens.

A good lens overall - main reason I didn't give more stars is flare.

Comments about Canon Wide Angle Tilt Shift TS-E 24mm f/3.5L Manual Focus Lens for EOS:

I use this as most which is to say for architecture and landscapes however for more and more of my wedding shoots I'm using this as a on location portraiture lens with RAVE reviews. Sometimes using a tool not intended for the operation at hand creates a happy accident and such was the case for me. Now it is right next to my 85 1.2 Mk II for portraiture and I really do mean that.

I highly commend this lens for creative and technical shooting.

Comments about Canon Wide Angle Tilt Shift TS-E 24mm f/3.5L Manual Focus Lens for EOS:

there is a learning curve. but all in all a very nice lens, gives you a new way to highlight your photos. sharp and clear as well as good contrast.

Comments about Canon Wide Angle Tilt Shift TS-E 24mm f/3.5L Manual Focus Lens for EOS:

When shooting architecture, I am very particular about keeping my lines straight and parallel. The shift function of this lens helps me achieve the look I'm going for.

It takes some patience and discipline to use this lens correctly. The following tips help:

* Use a tripod
* Use a hot shoe bubble level to make sure the camera is pointed straight forward
* Use a grid focusing screen to confirm straight lines and to assist composition

It also takes skill and practice to use a manual-focus lens. I use the Live View function at 10X magnification on a Canon EOS 5D Mark II camera to achieve consistent results.

I don't use tilt often, but it is useful for blurring the image background to an extent not otherwise possible with wide-angle lenses -- or you can keep everything in focus front to back without having to stop down.

One of the concerns with architectural photography is distortion, and with this lens I am finding no barrel distortion at all. Image quality is excellent at f/8, no tilt, no shift. Unfortunately, image quality deteriorates considerably at larger apertures or when dialing in a lot of shift or tilt. Chromatic aberration (red/cyan fringing) is quite bad, and it is softer overall than my other prime lenses, especially in the corners.

But to be fair, image quality is still far superior to the 24 mm setting on my Canon EF 24-105 f/4L zoom lens. It's not bad. It's just that I expected better. For many uses, this lens is still a must, and its versatility more than makes up for shortcomings in image quality that may only ever be visible in bigger enlargements.

I highly recommend this lens if you think you will use the shift or tilt function. Otherwise, you might prefer the Canon EF 24mm f/1.4L II instead.

Comments about Canon Wide Angle Tilt Shift TS-E 24mm f/3.5L Manual Focus Lens for EOS:

While this lens will not be mounted to my camera 100% of the time, I bought it to do architectural interiors. There's just no other way to correct converging lines. In addition, the ability to expand depth of focus was another concern.
Would be difficult to focus accurately were it not for the Live View feature on my 5D2. Using the 10x magnifying setting, and moving the cursor to an area in the frame that is the center of focus, sharp focus is easily achieved.
This lens has been criticized for being inherently soft. I don't find it to be so. I use a tripod, stop down to 11-16 and use the remote trigger to fire the camera.
I will be purchasing the TS-E 90mm in the future for product photography.

Comments about Canon Wide Angle Tilt Shift TS-E 24mm f/3.5L Manual Focus Lens for EOS:

I've been hanging on to my 4x5 but since I got this lens I'm thinking about selling it to get the ts45mm and the ts90mm. Some people have said it's too heavy, and yes it is heavy for DSLR prime, but compared to a view camera it's a god send. Some other people have said it's a novelty or special effects lens, but this is just bring movements to the world of DSLR's, which is something large format shooters have used for more than 100 years.

Comments about Canon Wide Angle Tilt Shift TS-E 24mm f/3.5L Manual Focus Lens for EOS:

Using this with a canon 5d mark ii, very solid construction, the tilt and shift stay where you put them (i never seem to need to tighten them off). the wide angle is great. it might be a touch soft. i started with the 45mm which i think seemed like a sharper lens and was 2.8 which was nicer, but i exchanged it for the 24mm just because i thought it would be more versatile, giving me more options working in tighter quarters. i miss a bit of the sharpness and the 2.8, but for the work i tend to do i think getting the 24mm was worth the trade off.

Comments about Canon Wide Angle Tilt Shift TS-E 24mm f/3.5L Manual Focus Lens for EOS:

Don't believe the reports you may read about this lens not being sharp. It's image quality is excellent. I'm using it with a 40D body to shoot historic site ruins under a grant project and the results are very satisfactory so far. Live view helps make manual focusing a snap. I'd recommend a hotshoe level when shooting structures. Once the camera is level and the exposure set, just shift the lens to get the correct composition for impressive images with correct perspective! While it isn't cheap, this optic is worth its price for certain specialty applications. Build quality is typical L, as in wonderful.

Comments about Canon Wide Angle Tilt Shift TS-E 24mm f/3.5L Manual Focus Lens for EOS:

So far I've had a blast with this lens. It's great for landscape, architecture, studio and I imagine a handful of other things I have not tried yet. I chose this one over the other focal lengths because I want to be able to use to for tall buildings and other wise shots.I have heard that it is the softest of the TSE lenses but it is plenty sharp enough for me, and it is the only "L" TSE lens that Canon offers.[...]

Comments about Canon Wide Angle Tilt Shift TS-E 24mm f/3.5L Manual Focus Lens for EOS:

I use this lens on APS size digital (equivalent to 38mm focal length) and full-frame film bodies. Images are very sharp. There is some falloff in illumination near the edges of the image circle and minor distortion, but this is unavoidable. Manual focus is superb. Perfect for architectural subjects, perspective control, creative manipulation of the focus plane.

You can make a superb digital panorama with APS sensors given generous shifts. Full right, and then full left--I lock in a manual exposure before shifting--and then stitch the frames together in Photoshop. With a body like the new 50D I would feel comfortable with 24" prints.
The large image circle can be fully utilized this way. Obviously, you want the camera on a tripod
for this kind of thing. This is generally a good idea for critical focus, and exacting work with a
shift lens--which can correct and also distort perspective.

It's almost a twin for my 75mm Shift lens (Pentax 67II medium format) which is is equivalent to about 38mm in small format, but Canon also incorporates tilts--and retailed for half the price.

Film is still the best game in town for B&W Photography, and the 24mm is nice and sharp--really a very ambitious design, and well made.
This is a lens for careful crafting of images,
and can be awkward without a tripod. The lock knobs could stand improvement, but this is only an issue when you're trying to hold the camera and work the tilts/shifts. It's a good idea to slow down and think about issues of image management.

I wonder how many millions--or billions of photos have those disturbing converging lines that appear when cameras are tilted-up to include the top of a building, or monument, or a tree. A PC lens is the only solution to this nagging problem.

Another nice feature of this lens is immense depth
of field. If it's not enough, feel free to tilt the lens, and drop the plane of focus on your subject area. Generally, PC lenses are limited production, pro-quality optics. Canon has done a good job with this lens, using their best glass. It's a heavy lens, 1.25 pounds, but that's the build--an f/3.5 wide angle lens incorporating
11 optical elements, and very refined mechanical
control of shifts/tilts and focus (long, smooth focusing helix).

Artists are always harping on Canon's wide angle lenses. Try this one! The practical and creative benefits greatly outweigh imperfections.
It's a good value.

Speaking as a physicist with a year of grad courses in optics, I have a high opinion of this lens. As an artist, I recommend PC lenses as a creative tool. Beyond a certain threshold of quality, it is only image content that matters, and the ball comes back to you.

Comments about Canon Wide Angle Tilt Shift TS-E 24mm f/3.5L Manual Focus Lens for EOS:

This is a fantastic lens. Among it's primary uses are:

* Correcting converging verticals when you would otherwise need to point the camera up or down to capture the scene. With this lens, simply keep the camera level and rotate a knob. In the viewfinder the image moves as if you tilted the camera itself. Because the camera is actually still level, parallel vertical lines remain vertical.

* Panoramics: Amazing panormics can be created without needing to rotate the camera/lens. If you shift the lens to the left, take the picture, shift to the middle, take the picture, and then shift to the right and repeat, you will have three images perfectly aligned.

* Extreme depth of field at wide aperatures via Tilt. Using tilt allows you to rotate the focus plan enabling tremendous depth of field front to back at wide apertures -- great with subjects that may move, where long shutter speeds (at small aperatures) cannot be used. Alternatively, shallow depth of field can be obtained by tilting in the opposite direction.

The lens itself is rock solid. I find it to be extremely sharp. Overall I couldn't be happier.

Comments about Canon Wide Angle Tilt Shift TS-E 24mm f/3.5L Manual Focus Lens for EOS:

After reviewing all of the reviews for this glass, I decided to buy it. As stated in many of the reviews, there is quite abit of a learning curve for this glass. [...]

Comments about Canon Wide Angle Tilt Shift TS-E 24mm f/3.5L Manual Focus Lens for EOS:

This is a fantastic lens for achieving maximum depth of field on landscape shots, correcting distortion, and making wide angle composite photos. Some things are best done in the camera versus Photoshop and this lens helps achieve that end. Only wish it was a stop faster.

Comments about Canon Wide Angle Tilt Shift TS-E 24mm f/3.5L Manual Focus Lens for EOS:

This really is a superb quality lens, though it requires both understanding and effort to get the best out of it.
The focus ring (no autofocus - remember) is silky smooth, and the tilt and shift adjustments are good too. OK - the tilt/shift locks are small and fiddly, but by no means a deal breaker; this is after all a lens to be used with silk gloves, not winter ones.
Frankly the case is not worth the trouble (it doesn't fit the lens well and offers little protection) and the hood cannot be reversed on the lens, but otherwise it is a great investment if you are involved in the sort of photography that might justify it.

Comments about Canon Wide Angle Tilt Shift TS-E 24mm f/3.5L Manual Focus Lens for EOS:

I do plenty of wide angle landscape photography and this lens helps adjust for perspective aberations in the field. That means less destructive adjustments in the computer program. Worth the investment if you're planning to make a habit or profession out of shooting big scenes.